The Monk, A Romance. Edited with an Introduction by Howard Anderson. [Oxford English Novels series].

LEWIS (MATTHEW or M.G.,"MONK') [1775-1818]. Anderson (Howard), editor.

ISBN 10: 0192553623 / ISBN 13: 9780192553621

Published by Oxford University Press, London, 1973

About this Item

London: Oxford University Press, 1973. First edition. xxx,455,[1]pp. Original orange cloth, tan lettering-piece, gilt lettering and decoration. Ownership name to upper outer corner of front free endpaper. A very good copy.

Seller Inventory # 300382

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Monk, A Romance. Edited with an Introduction by Howard Anderson. [Oxford English Novels series].
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, London
• Publication Date: 1973
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0192553623
• ISBN 13: 9780192553621
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Romantics and Romantic Era
  • Augustan

About this title

Synopsis

â Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating’

Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity, and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a succ̬s de scandale when it was published in 1796 Рnot least because its author was a member of parliament and only twenty years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.

This edition is based on the first edition of 1796, which appeared before Lewis’s revisions to avoid charges of blasphemy. In his introduction, Christopher MacLachlan discusses the novel’s place within the Gothic genre, and its themes of sexual desire and the abuse of power.

About the Author

Hugh Thomas (Lord Thomas of Swynnerton) is widely known for his work on the history of Spain, including his epic masterpiece The Spanish Civil War, available as a Modern Library Paperback.